Sweet Child of Mine?
by TanairyCanery69
Summary: Every story needs an evil sibling aye? When Max is attacked, the gang must find out who did the damage and why. Is Valentine, the root of all evil, to blame? Or does he have something even more powerful than himself fighting his battles for him? Will his evil but beautiful deadly weapon backfire? Come find out ;)
1. Chapter 1

The kids had just finished their breakfast at their favorite diner and were on their way back to the Institute. Clary held on to Simon's arm as they walked down the street. After the way Clary reacted when she thought Simon would burst into flames and be gone forever, she knew she truly did feel more than a brotherly sisterly connection with him. All she ever wanted to do was make sure no harm came his way, which was silly being that Simon was a vampire and could probably defend himself better than little ol'Clary. Still, it's the thought that counts. And even though she acknowledged her feelings towards Simon, she still felt something she could not explain for her brother, Jace. So to keep things simple Clary decided to just be friends with Simon, the way it was before. Isabelle and Alec walked along side each other straight ahead of Clary and Simon. They were bickering about whose turn it was to tutor Max, their younger brother, in the arts of Shadowhunting. Both were very good in fights but used different weapons to get the job done. Poor Max was always left out of the loop since he was so young; so every time tutor day came along he was more than excited to be able to hang out with the "older kids". At the very front of the group was Jace. Jace had such a light step he almost looked as if he was gliding across the floor. He walked with his hands in his pockets, head held high, with his chest pumped out. Kind of… arrogant like. And he was. He was too proud and thought too much of himself and not others. But he had some reason to. He was an amazing Shadowhunter, he was agile, very knowledgeable, and to top it off he was extremely handsome. It was no wonder Clary was so intrigued.

As all except Simon stepped foot into the Institute, Hodge ran up to them trying to catch his breath as he leaned against the wall. "Children, you must hurry…. It's Max…. Max went looking for you…. He's been attacked" said a hyperventilating Hodge. Isabelle turned red and teary eyed at the thought of her little brother being attacked, but hesitated no longer than a few seconds before she yanked open the front door of the Institute and ran out to the sidewalk. "Isabelle!" As she whipped around to see who was calling her name she saw her two brothers Alec and Jace trotting after her. It was Alec who spoke first, "Isabelle, we cannot just go running around looking for Max without knowing what we're up against." Isabelle couldn't believe her ears. _How could he say such a thing? Max is our brother_. "Well what do you suggest we do then hm? Just wait and see if he shows up on his own? Or maybe we should wait until someone finds and brings us his dead body" she said with enough venom in her voice to wipe out a whole nation. Isabelle turned back around to continue walking when suddenly she felt a yank at her wrist. It was Jace. "Alec is right; we cannot just walk around the city in hopes of finding Max when we have not the first idea as to where he can be found. Plus, if Hodge has been notified that Max was attacked then someone must have found him." Isabelle calmed down enough to notice Clary and Simon, who had been getting more information about Max's whereabouts from Hodge, jogging down the path leading up to the sidewalk. "He's been taken to Luke's." she said trying hard not to sound worried for Isabelle's sake. "Right, then let's get moving" said Alec as he grabbed his sister's hand pulling her in the direction of Luke's house while dialing the number for a taxi.

Before the taxi fully reached a stop, Isabelle was jumping out the back seat and sprinting to Luke's front door. Jace paid the driver and ran out with the others, sprinting full force after Isabelle. "Luke!... LUKE!" she screamed as she banged on the front door. Clary pushed through the boys to get to Isabelle and grabbed her hands right before she whipped out her key. She had been staying with Luke to get away from seeing Jace all day and every day. Clary opened the door to the house and tripped over Isabelle who was pushing her way through before the knob was even turned. "Shh." Following the sound of the hushing, they found Luke standing at the door of his room. The door was slightly cracked open and all you could see was a blue shimmer in the air. Magnus. As if he had heard the millions of questions swarming Isabelle's mind, Luke answered "He was walking through the alley by the Hunter's Moon and was attacked by a demon. I heard him scream and ran outside to find him lying on the ground…." He stopped before he gave the gruesome details of what he saw. Instead, he decided not to say anything out loud and pulled Alec and Jace aside and away from Isabelle, hoping she wouldn't hear what he was about to say. They went into the living room down the hall from Luke's bedroom and he sat down on the foot rest placed in front of an old, tattered armchair. Luke took a deep breath and started to talk, "He had four slashes going from his right shoulder down to the left side of his stomach. His blood…. His blood was all over the place…" Luke looked as if he was going to pass out from the thought if what he saw. "He's just a child… who would do such a thing to a small child…" Luke choked back a cry, but couldn't hold back a couple tears that managed to escape his tightly shut eyes. Luke had known the Lightwoods a very long time, and the thought of something like that happening to someone as young as Max really struck a nerve. Alec looked as if someone had just punched him several times in the stomach while Jace had an intensified look of anger mixed with pain chiseled into his face. Alec slightly bent over with a hand on his knee, wiped sweat off his forehead and dried a few stray tears he let fall himself before heading back to Isabelle, Clary, and Simon. Isabelle was staring into the room sniffling as she watched the high warlock of Brooklyn work on the small mutilated body. "Come", Alec said as he wrapped his arms around his sister has she fell to pieces. No one ever saw her cry, because she never did. Neither of them ever cried. All three were tough as nails and were always taught not to let their emotions get the best of them. Especially Jace.

A few hours had gone by and everyone was waiting in the living room including Max's parents, Maryse and Robert, who had arrived shortly after the others did. "I leave you two in charge of one thing, which is to take care of Max while we're gone and THIS happens" said an angry and worried Maryse. "Now dear, this could've happened to Max even under OUR supervision. You know how adventurous that boy is" stated Robert as he chuckled and stared down at his shoes while the memories of his youngest son always wanting to go along on their trips ran though his head like an old film strip. Maryse quickly stood up startling everyone in the room and briskly walked over to the hallway. As they all leaned in the direction most suited for them to see what was happening, they noticed Magnus walking towards Maryse. A small smirk appeared on the warlocks face. Maryse squealed and crushed Magnus in a strong embrace. Surprised at the actions taking place, everyone else including Magnus just stared at each other waiting for Maryse to let go. "Thank you so much , you saved my boy and I will never be able to repay you" said Maryse, tears and all. Normally the Lightwoods would want nothing to do with a Downworlder, but this particular Downworlder saved their son's life. The others except for Robert chuckled at the new name she'd given Magnus…. . "Please, call me Magnus. And it was my pleasure. After all, he is family…" he said looking at Alec with a mischievous look on his face. Jace looked confused. Clary, Simon, and Isabelle all looked at Alec in horror while Alec looked back at him absolutely shocked. Just as confused as Jace, both Robert and Maryse in unison said "Family?" Silence. Awkward silence. Then a sweet child's voice shattered the silence making everyone freeze and stare down the hallway. "Mother?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you vhs for your review! I'm glad someone's reading! ^_^**

He was bruised all over his body. On his little hands you could see faded scars that were not there before the attack. Jace was the only one to notice them. Maryse was the first to speak. "How're you feeling Max?" He was forcing his swollen eye open while trying to squint with his other eye, being that his glasses where shattered during the attack. "I'm okay", he said trying to smile through is split lips. Though he was awake and speaking everyone, except for Magnus who had left before anyone had time to acknowledge his last words, was sitting around the bad side staring with worried looks on their faces. "He's a fighter. None of you give him enough props." said Jace while winking at his little brother. "Thanks Jace" said Max just before he drifted into a deep sleep. "Someone must stay with him at all times. Understood?" said Robert as he looked at each and every one of the kid's faces, including Simon; who was confused as to why he'd allow a vampire to watch over his bloody son. Simon wouldn't hurt him, but still. "I'll watch him for now while one of you goes and packs a bag to stay the night. I want to go make sure that thing is gone and far away from here" said Luke. Isabella popped up from where she was sitting and said," I'll go." She kissed Max on the top of his head, which seemed to be the only place that wasn't bruised and headed out the bedroom door. "I'll come with you" hollered Clary. "Me too!" said Simon before casually clearing his throat, hoping no one noticed his desperation to be around Clary. "You can't step foot in the Institute, you'll combust where you stand" explained Robert. It was Jace who answered to the comment. "I let him drink my blood…" Maryse looked at him and sighed, "Why in the name of Raziel would you do that Jace?" Jace simply replied, "He was dead." Clary looked as if an invisible force pushed her back at the news that Simon was…. Dead. "Dead?! You were dead?! What happened? Why were you dead? How did you come back? Why didn't you tell me any of this?" "Relax Clary, no need to make a show" said an annoyed Jace. All she and everyone else could do was stare. Some stared at the wall, others at the floor, and two stared at each other. Clary and Jace. "You're so heartless" was all she said before she grabbed Izzy by the hand and continued down the hallway at Luke's house with Simon at her flank.

After a few hours Jace was starting to get hungry. "I'm going to get some pizza or something, want to join?" "Sure" said Alec. As they walked down the street looking for a restaurant, Jace figured it would be a good time to bring up the scars Max had on his hands. "So, have you noticed if Max has been getting himself into trouble?" he asked blankly. "Eh, no not really. Why?" After a small "h'm" Jace stayed quiet. Alec looked over at Jace and repeated the earlier asked question, "Why?" Jace hesitated and stopped in the middle of his tracks. "Didn't you notice the little cuts on his hand?" Jace said gesturing to his own hands giving Alec a visual. "There were cuts all over him Jace; they probably came from the attack just like the rest of the cuts and bruises." Remembering what happened to Max made Alec a little nauseated and he turned pale. "Do we have to talk about this now Jace?" "I know it's hard to think about what happened today, but I found something unusual about those cuts." "What is it Jace? Just say it." Now Alec was staring to look a bit annoyed at the fact that Jace wouldn't stop talking about it. Jace was now standing almost chest to chest with Alec, trying to whisper so no one could hear him. "I don't think the demon was alone." Alec's eyes shot up at Jace as he took a few steps back. "What do you mean it wasn't alone?" Jace sighed, not knowing what to say next. "They were healed. Healed by something other than magic. They looked like this" and he showed Alec some old scars he had before. Scars that were healed by the healing rune Iratze. "A Shadowhunter?" asked Alec. Jace stood thinking before answering to Alec's response. "I don't think a Shadowhunter would hurt Max, or let the attack happen in the first place" he said staring straight ahead. Alec tried following his gaze, but was just as lost as Jace looked. "Well, what should we do?" Now the boys had started walking again. Jace happened to look down an alley way just as they were walking by it. Hunter's Moon. "Investigate" was all Jace said as he turned into the alley way. The alley way where Max was attacked.

"Why does he have to be so mean?" said Clary while helping Isabelle pack her night bag. "He's not mean. He's Jace" replied Isabelle. "Well I think he's mean too" chimed in Simon. "Even though he saved your life?" said Clary as she stared right at him. Simon went to the window and stared at the sun; something he wouldn't be able to do had Jace not saved his life. Knowing what her next question would be he answered, "He asked me not to tell." "But I'm your best friend Simon" said Clary almost looking hurt. "He saved my life Clary…. The least I can do is keep his dumb secret" he said slouching down against the wall. "His 'dumb' secret can get him into a lot of trouble Simon." It was Isabelle, who was quiet the whole time, who spoke next whipping around creating a slight breeze. She swiftly walked over to Simon and got on one knee, leaned in to about 2 inches from his face and softly but fiercely said, "Any man who risks his freedom for my life will always and forever have my loyalty." All Simon could do was stare. Stare into those beautiful eyes of hers that shined and twinkled with every movement she made. "What do you mean risk his freedom?" said Clary wide-eyed and anxious for an answer. Isabelle, never removing her eyes from Simon's, simply stated, "proditorem." Clary looked at Simon then back at Isabelle. "What does that mean?"asked Clary. Simon answered using his newly found language. "Traitor."

"What are they doing in here?!" yelled a young boy from across the room. Jace and Alec's ears were flooded with all types of yelling and profanity. Suddenly there was a loud whistle from behind them. "They're here for me." It was Luke. "Come on back boys" he said in a low horse voice before he turned to walk to the back of the bar. Before either of the two could say anything to Luke, Luke said something that surprised them both. "I know why you're here, I saw the cuts too, and no… it wasn't a Shadowhunter" he rushed. Both Alec and Jace just looked at each other in astonishment and then fixated their gaze on Luke waiting for him to begin speaking again. "One of my guys went out there to see if they could sniff out a scent. Something… different than what we're used to." The boys leaned in as Luke spoke. "He picked up a little bit of everything. I've never smelled anything like his before." As he finished his sentence he pulled a small piece of cloth out of the drawer and tossed it across the desk to Alec and Jace. On the piece of cloth there was half a picture of a chess piece in black and red… blood. The dried up splotch of blood that came from Alec's little brother made his stomach churn. Luke turned to Jace, "This was left behind by whoever did this. They wanted to make sure someone found it." Jace picked it up and examined it, being careful not to damage the only evidence they had of the one who harmed Max. "I'll take this to Hodge and see what he thinks. Let's go Alec." Not moving, Alec sat with his hands folded in his lap and stared at the desk, brows furrowed. "Alec?" said Jace, getting impatient as always. Just then Alec stood up and pushed passed Jace. A look of shock plastered Jace's face. "Al…." "We should've just brought him with us" Alec whispered staring at the ground. "We didn't know this would happen, Alec" said Jace putting his hand on Alec's shoulder. Alec shoved his hand off, turned to face Jace and harshly said, "But it did, didn't it? And now we're going on a wild goose chase looking for who did it. He should've been with us" and stalked away without looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** **I forgot the disclaimer in the first two chapters. Oops! **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMI or any of its characters except for the fictional ones created for this fan fiction story.**

* * *

The sun had started to set. Jace and Alec were on their way back to the Institute when suddenly they heard a loud thud coming from behind them, getting a whiff of what smelled like a rotting corpse. As they turned around to see what it was, they saw only the shadow of what seemed to be the body of a small child fly across the road hitting the ground with a crack. "MAAAAX!" Before Jace could grab ahold of Alec's shirt, Alec was racing towards the lump on the ground. "ALEC! IT ISN'S MAX! IT ISN'T M….." Both stopped in their tracks as the body's shape slowly started shifting. Agramon. Within seconds the shape that looked like Max turned into the fear demon. Alec froze on the spot and dropped to his knees, holding his breath. "ALEC! MOVE!" With that, Jace jumped up light as a feather and jammed his blade into the demons neck. A black stream of blood started pouring out of the demon as the demon diminished in size until it was a pool of sizzling liquid. Panting Jace grabbed Alec's shirt and pulled him up onto his feet. "What's wrong with you!? You almost got yourself killed!" scolded Jace. Alec, in a state of shock, just stared at Jace. With a sigh Jace wiped off his blade and softly started guiding Alec back to the Institute, not one word spoken on the way back.

* * *

Clary, Simon and Isabelle all walked back to Luke's house in silence. Clary kept looking over at Simon who looked guilty as he walked with his hands tucked into his pockets and Isabelle walked just ahead of them as if she were walking alone. Once Isabelle reached the front door Clary broke the silence. "Are we going to talk about this?" she asked in a hopeful tone. "There's nothing to talk about Clarissa" responded Isabelle with little interest of talking at all in her voice. Simon stayed quiet while the girls stared at each other on the front steps. Finally Clary gave in and unlocked the door without mentioning the Jace/Simon situation any more. The sun had completely gone down by the time they arrived so it was fairly dark inside the house except for a few lit candles in the living room and in Luke's room where Max was resting. They tiptoed to the room and peaked through the cracked door. There sat Maryse, watching her boy peacefully sleep away the pain of the earlier incident. "I can take it from here, Mom" said Isabelle pulling her mother up off the chair and lightly shoving her to the door. "Thank you dear, be sure to get ahold of me if you need me. I'll be going back to the Institute to rest a while. I'll be back before sunrise." With a small smile Maryse walked out the door, giving one last glance towards her child and left. Isabelle sat down next to her brother and caressed the top of his head as she hummed him a lullaby. Clary took this as her cue to leave the room and went to find Simon who was sitting in the living room on the old arm chair. Clary went and sat on the foot rest right in front of him. "Hey" she said in a small voice. Simon looked up at her and smiled. "Hey." "You alright?" she asked sounding concerned. Simon shrugged his shoulders before turning his head to look outside. "He's back." Luke walked in seconds after. "Are they back yet?" he asked, panting. Clary and Simon looked at each other in confusion. "Are who back?" she asked walking after Luke who was now searching the rooms of the house. "Alec and Jace." Tripping over herself trying to keep up with Luke Clary answered "No, it's just Simon and me, Isabelle is in the room with Max…. what's going on Luke?" "I've got it… I know what did this to Max."

* * *

Shortly after arriving at the Institute Alec jumped into the shower and Jace went to put the weapons away. Jace heard footsteps coming down the hallway and decided he'd go and investigate. He recognized the figure of his adoptive mother. Her face was pale, eyes sunken, and her appearance was one of a homeless woman. Jace walked over to her securing her in a warm embrace. Maryse wept into Jace's chest as he rubbed her back in a comforting way. "I just don't understand" she said in a muffled voice. Jace walked Maryse to her room and gave his mother a kiss on her cheek before assuring her everything would be alright. As Jace closed the door to Maryse's room he once again heard a pair of footsteps creeping down the hallway. "How is young Maxwell doing?" Jace knew that voice all too well. Hodge was the first from the Institute to find out about the attack and had been left in the dark ever since. "He's good. Isabelle and Clary are supposed to spend the night with him at Luke's." A slivery of pain and annoyance crossed his face as he mentioned Clary's name. "Ah yes, Miss Fray and Miss Lightwood. I heard them come by earlier with the tall pale skinned boy. Simon is it? Now I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything but I could've sworn I heard something about a secret between you and that boy?" Jace froze and stared down the hallways at nothing. "Sir Wayland?" Jace sighed before he looked back at Hodge. "Valentine drained him of his blood. I knew it would destroy Clary, so…." He paused at the last portion of the story. "No, please do tell me you did not quench his thirst with YOUR blood. Jace?" Jace tried to avoid Hodge's questioning eyes to the best of his ability but failed. "Jace?" Jace looked away again and said, "Well what should I have done? Left him there? What about Cla…" Hodge waited for Jace to finish his sentence and furrowed his eye brows when he didn't. Hodge then understood what was happening and smoothed over his expression. "I understand" was all he said in response. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." Jace turned to walk away and then Hodge spoke again, saying something that he knew would regain his attention. "It's not wrong you know. To love someone you cannot have." Jace tensed at those words and kept walking without looking back.

* * *

Everyone gathered in the living room while Isabelle called her father back to Luke's house. Robert and Maryse arrived shortly after the call about their son's attacker. Before leaving the Institute, Maryse notified Alec and Jace and they came along as well. After everyone settled down, Luke emerged from his room where he was examining Max's wounds. Everyone stared at him as he cleared his throat before speaking. "This 'being' has traces of wolf in it. I picked the smell out of the cloth myself." He held up the piece of fabric that came from Max's shirt. "I also believe this thing could be interbred. A hybrid if you will." Isabelle stood from where she was seated and grabbed the cloth from Luke's hand. "So this… monster is a bunch of monsters mixed into one?" Luke looked at her offended. "This 'creature' is more than one species, yes." Maryse stood and walked over to Luke as well crossing her arms over her chest. "What else did you find?" she asked. Luke sighed and paced back and forth. "I'm not quite sure exactly." He started pinching the bone between his eyes as he squeezed them shut. "Those cuts all over Max's body….. they were healed by a nephilim. They look exactly like the scars we have that were healed by Iratze." He massaged the back of his tensed neck and sighed in frustration. "I don't know what it is" he finally admitted with a hint of defeat in his voice. Sitting on the couch and putting his head in his hands he murmured "I just don't know." "I thought you said you knew…." said Maryse clearly frustrated. "Well, do you have a better idea?" Luke responded just as harshly. Just then Alec had an idea. "Magnus might know." Everyone looked up at Alec confused. Robert who had been quiet the whole time looked up at his son for the first time since Magnus had mentioned something about "family". Robert had an idea but just couldn't bring himself to ask about it, not knowing whether he'd be disappointed or accepting. "Do explain." Alec shivered at the tone in his father's voice and took a deep breath. "Magnus healed him right? Well, maybe he'll be able to tell us where the wounds came from." Alec carefully moved his eyes away from his father and looked towards Isabelle who had always stood by him in the most difficult times. She gave him a reassuring smile, encouraging him to keep speaking. "I asked him once about how he heals people and he said first he must find the infection in the wound and counteract it, thus healing the wound. Since he healed Max's wounds, he should know where or what they came from." For a few seconds there was silence and then… "So, go call him!" exclaimed Isabelle as she pushed him towards the phone.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMI or any of its characters except for the fictional ones created for this fan fiction story.**

About an hour later there was a knock on the door. Luke answered and in trotted Magnus with suspicion in his cat eyes. "Lovely for you to finally make it" said Isabelle in the most sarcastic tone possible. "My pleasure" he responded winking at her while mimicking a sophisticated bow. As he straightened himself he turned himself to face Alec. "So what do you want?" Robert stood in front of Alec blocking him from Magnus's view and answered for him. "We'd like to know if you might have the slightest clue as to whom or what attacked my son." "Well of course I do" he answered flashing a cocky grin. "But first, I think Alec has something to tell you." His grin widened as he leaned and looked at Alec who was now pale as a ghost. He walked around his father and sped out the door, Isabelle on his heels; leaving everyone else in the room either shocked or confused. "Alec! Wait!" Isabelle, slightly jogging, caught up to Alec and pulled him aside. Trying to catch her breath she held on to his hand tightly, in fear he would rip away and keep walking. She looked up at her brother into the sea blue eyes of his that resembled her own, only his were welled over with tears. The look of anger, hurt, and embarrassment on his face made Isabelle grab him and hold him close. She could feel him trembling in her arms as he silently sobbed into her shoulder. "Why is he doing this?" he asked between the sobs. She sighed. "I don't know Alec, but maybe it's time." He looked at his sister. His sister who knew from the start he was gay. His sister who had kept his secret all this time. His sister who never shunned him for it and was now encouraging him to open up to his parents and friends. Looking over his shoulder back to the house, he sighed before responding. "It's not like I have a choice. He won't tell us about the wounds unless I say something. Max shouldn't be denied answers because of me." "Alec, Max is fine. He's healing well and it's not your fault. You have to stop feeling responsible for everything that happened." Now Isabelle was tearing up as well. They stood in silence for what felt like an eternity. Alec finally spoke. "Will you stay with me?" Isabelle looked up at her brother with a perplexed expression. "When I tell everyone about me being homosexual and about Magnus; will you stay with me?" Isabelle's face softened as she grabbed her brother's hand. "Let's go."

After Isabelle ran out after Alec the house fell silent. Robert stared at the ground angrily, Maryse stood looking out the window trying to get a glimpse of Isabelle and Alec, Simon and Clary looked around awkwardly at everyone else, Luke was leaning on the back of the old arm chair and Jace was glaring at Magnus who was casually leaning against the wall examining his black nails. "Oh! They're coming!" said Maryse excitedly. Alec and Isabelle walked in through the door hand in hand and stood near it for a quick exit if need be. Alec's face filled with worry, worried everyone in the room as well. He felt nauseas and was slightly shaking but took a deep breath and plunged right into it. "For my brother" he said looking at Magnus; "for my brother I'll stand here in front of my friends and family to inform you all that…." He paused not being able to finish his sentence. On cue Isabelle tightened her grip on his hand and rubbed his arm in a comforting motion. Alec sighed and just blurted out the last two words. "I'm gay." His parents looked at him as if he had just confessed to a murder. Clary lowered her head and stared at Simon's hand which she had taken in hers while Simon stared off into space trying to ignore the whole situation; Luke's head shot up and he stared at Magnus in disbelief and Jace turned a shade lighter than his usual tone, followed by a shade of red. "Why would you make him say that?" he said in a low, hard to hear tone as he walked towards Magnus in a threatening way. "WHY WOULD YOU MAKE HIM SAY THAT?!" Just as Jace lifted his fist, someone grabbed it in mid-swing. The heat radiating off of Luke's hand distracted Jace long enough for Robert to stand between him and Magnus. Magnus still stood in the same position as he was earlier; against the wall, unfazed. "None of that" was all Robert said to his adoptive son. Anytime Robert spoke it sent chills down Jace's spine. His body was no longer tensed and Luke released his fist, letting the blood flow back into his white knuckles. Alec walked over to Magnus with his balled up hands in his pockets. "I'll never forgive you for this you know." Magnus said nothing in return. Instead he pulled out a piece of paper that was folded up in his pocket and handed it to Alec. "Fine". And he strutted out the front door.

Everyone took some time to cool off while Alec sat in Luke's room with Max. "I heard what you said out there" he said in a groggy voice. Alec looked at his little brother who was healing quickly thanks to Magnus. "You didn't have to you know?" he said when Alec didn't answer. "Yes I did." He kept fiddling with the paper in his hand. "I needed this." He lifted the piece of paper and lowered it again. Max smiled and looked towards the door. "So is Magnus your… boyfriend" he asked in a whisper. Alec couldn't help but smile at his innocent curiosity. "Nope." "Well, WAS he your boyfriend?" Alec chuckled a little and stood up ruffling Max's hair. "Love ya Max" and walked out the door. Max smiled to himself and laid back down to sleep some more.

After Alec left the room he noticed Clary had fallen asleep on Simon's lap while Simon played a game on his phone, Isabelle was speaking to her mother in a low voice in the corner of the room and Robert was speaking to Luke about what to do next. Alec walked over to them and tossed the paper on the table in front of them and walked away. Both Robert and Luke watched him as he walked, Luke showing sympathy and Robert just confused. As he stepped out the door he noticed someone sitting on the curb. All he saw was the slight glow of the figures golden hair. _Jace _he thought. He walked over slowly and sat next to him not saying a word. They both stared across the street at nothing when Jace finally spoke. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked as flatly as possible knowing he felt more hurt than anything. "I couldn't." Jace stood up and placed himself in front of Alec blocking his view. "Why?! I'm supposed to be your best friend… your brother!" "And that's exactly why I couldn't tell you!" yelled Alec so loud the whole neighborhood could've heard him. By now both of them were standing facing each other. Jace, realizing what he meant by that, changed his whole expression. "I feel disgusted knowing I could have feelings for someone who is supposed to be my sibling." Jace knew exactly how he was feeling. Surprisingly he didn't feel any different towards Alec now knowing he had these feelings. Alec had sat back down on the curb and continued to stare at nothing, this time towards the ground. Jace went over and sat next to him and playfully bumped his shoulder against him. "You'll find someone." "Thanks Jace" he answered. He saw him nod out of the corner of his eye and felt grateful he didn't overreact like he'd thought he would.

They sat outside quietly for a little while longer before Luke yelled for them to come in. As soon as they walked into the room Luke started speaking. "Based on what Magnus wrote down, Max was attacked by a demon. The type is unknown but the poison was present. Also," he paused looking at Robert before speaking again, "there was a trace of lycanthrope DNA found in the woun-. " "So one of your downworlder mutts did this to my son?!" roared Robert. "NO." Luke's voice rumbled the floor beneath them causing tension to spread through the whole room. Luke calmed down before speaking again through clenched teeth. "I'm saying that wolves played a part in the attack. It doesn't necessarily mean they were the one's whom attacked. Plus, lycanthropes are not capable of summoning demons. That's a job for a sorcerer." Clary, who had woken up the minute Luke started speaking and sat quietly absorbing the information asked, "Didn't you and the pack find Max outside? Maybe that's how your DNA made its way into the wounds." Luke nodded his head in an approving way. "Maybe." Luke scratched his head wondering what this thing could be. Jace couldn't stay quiet any longer and finally spoke out about the scars on Max's hands. "I don't know how, but I believe a shadowhunter was involved in the attack. Max has silver scars all over his hands." Hearing that, Robert stormed out of the room and into Luke's bedroom; Jace, Alec, and Luke right behind him. After realizing his son had fallen back asleep, he carefully reached over and grabbed his hand to examine it. He cursed under his breath and laid his hand back down, his face twisted in disgust. Robert walked back into the hallway saying one thing and one thing only. Valentine.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMI or any of its characters except for the fictional ones created for this fan fiction story.**

"I always knew you were something special, since the first day I laid my eyes on you." Valentines voice was low and grim as he spoke to the figure who stood in front of him, its head bowed. Marks were visible on this being, all over its hands, throughout the neck; though those could only be seen when they took off their cloak. "The deed has been done" said the shady person. Valentine walked back and forth, arrogance written all over his face that managed to seep into the air as if he were toxic. One could almost swear they could see the color of his pride radiate off of him. As he stalked before his minion he spoke in a hushed but menacing voice. "Yes, and I have you to thank. My treasure." Just as the words left his mouth, a glowing white smile shone from underneath the hooded robe like jacket revealing jagged teeth were the incisors would be. Just then Valentine abruptly stopped and turned to face the figure that stood like a statue. "And you're sure he's still alive?" "Yes, I made sure he was still alive; made sure that filthy demon didn't kill him." It spoke in an obedient tone. This creature was definitely loyal to Valentine no matter the consequences. It stood with confidence just like Valentine except out of respect it bowed its head in his presence. Its stance was defensive as well as confident, ready to make any move necessary to defend itself or its 'master'. "Ah, that's my little protégé" he answered as he walked over to his blades. "Now, for some more training. I cannot have you making errors during battle. It may cost me a lot more than just you." And with that he hurled the blade at the shadow standing behind him, point first. With a quick pivot on its heels and flick of the wrist the blade handle was in its hand and it was positioned and ready to fight. Valentine simply grinned from ear to ear and shook his head in disbelief. "My treasure."

* * *

"Where are you going, Robert?!" Maryse hollered as she ran down the sidewalk after her husband; Isabelle, Alec, and Jace right behind her. Robert said nothing and kept walking as if no one were chasing him. Jace, being swifter than the others, jogged up in front of him and stood right in his path, leaving Robert no choice but to stop. Maryse, huffing and puffing grabbed her husband's arm and turned him to face her. "What on earth are you doing? Where are you going?" Robert sighed and looked into his wife's eyes, eyes that were tired and tear stained from the tragedy they were engulfed in. "Please, Robert, just tell me what is happening." Though she had already caught her breath, she sounded breathless as she pleaded and begged for a response. He stared at her and his three children who were all worried and concerned. "I am going to Idris. The clave must know about the events occurring in this city and the Angel knows where else. He cannot just attack our children and get away with it. I want to request he be tracked, captured and tried before the clave." Maryse untensed her body, not realizing she was tensed in the first place, and forced a smile before she said, "And you were going to just leave me here?" "Yes, I need you to stay here and watch over the children–" "We can take care of ourselves, we have been for quite a while now." It was Alec who interrupted Robert. Robert looked over at his oldest son and wondered how he'd grown so fast. He had become so independent and took full responsibility for his younger siblings anytime Robert and Maryse were gone. He even took responsibility for the attack. "That you can", he answered turning back to his wife; returning her smile. A genuine smile. Maryse turned to Alec and said, "So it is settled then. We leave for Idris in the morning. Alec, you are in charge while we are away. Please take care of my boy." She gave all three of her children a kiss on the cheek and headed inside to bid farewell to her youngest child. "Alec, may I speak to you in private?" asked his father as he watched his wife lightly sprint off into the house. They walked over to a tree further down the street. The street light casted shadows under Roberts eyes making his cheek bones sharper causing him to look older than he was. "I need you to inform me of any activity you may see that may be tied to Valentine. Do not mention any of this to Jace. The urge to protect his father may be powerful enough to override his mind and thoughts, turning him against us." "I don't think Jace is capab –" "You cannot be too sure or too safe. Valentine is dangerous." And he turned to walk away but stopped mid stride and turned back to look at Alec. "I'm proud of you son, no matter what; I'll always be proud of you." And he turned back and kept walking, leaving Alec in the shadows to soak in the words his father had shared with him. _He's proud of me. No matter who I love, he's proud of me. _A smirk creeped onto the side of Alec's lips as he started walking back to the house. _He's proud. _

The sun had begun to rise and no one had gotten any sleep since the day before. Maryse and Robert were getting their bags to the front lawn of the Institute when Isabelle ran over to them and hugged them each for a long period of time. She released her parents and off they went to meet with the Clave. "I'm going to try to get some rest" she said to Jace who was standing on the front steps. "I'll wait here for Alec to return. One of us should be awake at all times in case something happens." Isabelle leaned on her adopted brother's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. "Be careful" she called over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs and stepped inside. "Always am," he replied almost to himself. Alec had stayed at Luke's house to make sure there was a set plan on who would take care of Max. After a few minutes, Luke's pick-up truck roared up the street. Alec hopped out holding Max in his arms as he slept nuzzled into his chest. Jace quickly pushed the door open to the Institute and helped guide Alec through the dark halls all the way to Max's room. Hodge, who had been awake the whole time, emerged from the shadows just as they walked through the bedroom door. "I have covered the windows with dark curtains so young Max would not be disturbed in his slumber. I have also laid out some crackers and a pitcher of water in case he wants to have a snack when he wakes up. I know how sick one feels after being healed with intense forces such as magic." "Thank you Hodge," said Alec as he laid Max down and covered him in his favorite fleece blanket. Jace stood watching with his arms crossed across his chest. "Why'd you bring him back here?" he asked curiosity lining his tone. "Hodge is always here, he can take care of watching over Max while everyone else is resting. If it's okay with him." Alec turned to Hodge who delightfully agreed to the favor being asked of him. "I'll take good care of him Alec. Don't you worry." "Thank you, I'm going to go wash up and rest a while. Let me know if you need anything." He stared at Max while he slept for what felt like hours. A few minutes later he was gone.

* * *

_Screams. Scratching noises. The pounding of her heart deafening her own hearing. "Simon? Jace?" In the dark, Clary stumbled across what looked like the bones of a small body. She covered her mouth to suppress the scream bursting her lungs desperate to be released. She turned to see the yellow eyes of a wolf staring at her. Luke. She crawled over to where the eyes had been feeling for fur or the warm body of her father-figure guardian. Nothing. She felt her stomach twist as she heard soft breaths coming from behind. The warmth of it sending chills down her spine. She turned to see Jace, blood splattered all over his white shirt, his marks burning red. Not black. Red. He smiled as he stood. She noticed him holding something in his hands. Limp, and bloody like his shirt. As she realized what or who it was she screamed in horror, hands shaking, tears streaming down her cheeks. "SIMON!" Jace's smile grew wider showing jagged fangs stained with fresh blood, dripping from his lips. "Now we can be together" he said throwing Simon's limp body at her feet. She shrieked holding Simon's head in her lap sobbing. "Why Jace, why'd you kill him?" She looked up at Jace and his image flickered from Jace to Valentine back to Jace. His voice sounded demonic. "His blood. I need his blood." … "_Clary!.. CLARY!" Responding to the yelling Clary sat up in a cold sweat. The first thing she noticed was the bright light pouring in through the window. _Morning_. She was back in her room at Luke's house in the comfort of her own bed. Confused she looked around frantically, and then fixated her eyes on the person shaking her awake. "Clary, what's wrong? What happened?" Realizing it was Simon; she immediately grabbed him and held him close. He held her without saying another word. She sobbed into his shirt and finally looked up after a couple minutes and stared into his eyes. "Jace killed you, I had a dream Jace killed you. Except it wasn't really Jace. It was Valentine. I tried looking for Luke but I couldn't find him and there were…" She choked on her words as she explained her dream. "There were children bones lying on the ground." Simon held her close again trying to stop her shaking. He grabbed her blanket and snuggled under it with her curled up between his legs, her head in his chest. "It's okay Clary, I'm fine. Luke is fine. Jace is fine. And Max… if you're worried about Max, he's fine too." She spoke into his shirt, her voice muffled. "No, the child wasn't Max. These bones were covered in ashes." Simon sighed not knowing how else to calm her down. He lifted her chin to face him and lightly pecked her lips with his own. She couldn't help but sigh at the touch of his cool lips, so soft and comforting. She knew how she felt about Simon. She loved him. But there was still a longing for Jace she couldn't explain. "Sorry, was that weird?" he said looking a little embarrassed after he realized what he had done. Clary smiled at him, making him feel better about the situation. "Nope," she answered, "Not at all."


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMI or any of its characters except for the fictional ones created for this fan fiction story.**

It had been two days since the attack on Max. He had completely healed thanks to Magnus and his power. Everyone tried to lay low after the incident so they wouldn't attract any unwanted attention from Valentine; though they all felt he knew what they did and when they did it no matter what they tried to hide. _Knock, knock. _ The knocking on the door of the Institute carried through the halls and echoed loudly through the building due to the high ceilings and empty space. Alec, Jace, and Isabelle all sat in the library and right as they heard the knock, stared towards the door that led to the hallway. "Anyone expecting a visitor?" asked Alec never taking his eyes off the door. "Nope" answered both Jace and Isabelle. "H'm, interesting." Alec stood up and walked towards the library door and into the hallway. Isabelle looked at Jace and nodded her head towards the door as if to say _let's go. _Before they reached the front door there was another knock. This time louder. Before yanking the door open Alec turned and looked at his siblings who encouraged him to open with slight nods. He turned back to the door and cracked it a bit before fully opening it. The sun casted a bright light behind the figure, making them look like a shadow. The only things visible on this person were the weapons hanging off their sides that glinted where the sun hit and on their back a long sword that looked like clear crystal strapped against a black jacket marked with bright burning runes symbolizing strength, soundlessness, speed, and stamina along with many others usually used during battle. "Who are you?" The shadow lifted and dropped their hoodie, revealing caramel colored skin and shiny black curly shoulder length hair with a little bit of bangs that twitched every time they blinked. "My name is Taly, I've been sent by the Clave."

* * *

"Clary, hurry up!" Simon yelled from outside Luke's house. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" She skipped out the door and pulled it shut before turning around and glaring at Simon. "What? Visiting hours are over in 3 hours and it'll take like 1 ½ to get there." With a huff Clary turned and walked away, defeated. "Sooo…" Clary just stared straight forward. "No, I haven't told anyone about the dream yet." Simon pinched his lips between his teeth and let out a dramatic sigh. "And no I'm not going to say anything" said Clary smirking at him as they walked. Simon put his hands up and began to deny he was ever thinking such a thing. "I wasn't even –" "I know you too well Simon" interrupted Clary. Simon decided he'd lost this battle and put his hands in his pocket and kept walking, Clary next to him. They walked in awkward silence. Simon wanted to ask questions about the dream but knew Clary would refuse to answer them or brush it off as she usually did so he stayed quiet. Clary on the other hand wanted to vent about the situation but decide it would be better if she kept their love triangle in a non-existent state. "You don't have to pretend Clary" said Simon sounding exhausted. "I know how you feel about Jace." Clary stopped mid-stride and looked at Simon. Simon stopped as well a few feet ahead of her and backtracked to stand in front of her. He was so close she could hear his breaths as he inhaled and exhaled. He touched her faced ever so lightly with the back of his fingers and watched her blush into a rosy color. "I get it. And I think it's best to not torture ourselves with pretending that there's something there. I know there isn't. Not from your part at least." He dropped his hand back to his side and stared at her. The old Simon wouldn't be able to look at Clary this way without getting nervous and sweaty with worry of what she might think. This Simon was braver than ever before and would take on the world if he had to. Only problem was she WAS his world. And he felt as though he's lost the many battles he fought for her. Lost to Jace. Clary stayed silent not knowing what to say after that. Simon turned and kept walking and when he noticed she wasn't following turned around to see why she wasn't moving. "You coming?" She looked at him and instantly her face turned a bright red and she started to fall to her knees crying. Before her knees hit the floor Simon was already at her side gently guiding her to the ground. "Clary what's wrong?" he asked, alarmed. "Why can't just one thing go the way I want it to? My mom's in the hospital, by best friend probably hates me for leading him on, and I'm most likely sick in the head for wanting Jace the way I want him." That last part sent a jolt through Simon and Clary definitely noticed it. She quickly looked up at Simon who was concentrating hard on the ground, his face stiff. She would've thought he was a statue if it weren't for the slow rise and drop of his chest. "Simon, I'm so –" Simon stood up so fast Clary didn't even have a chance to blink. "No biggie Clary."

* * *

"Why'd they send you?" Jace asked as he stepped in front of the open door, blocking the entrance. "Mr. Robert Lightwood addressed the attacked and requested extra protection for the Institute." Taly's tone sounded patronizing. Isabelle stepped forward looking a bit offended. "We can handle the Institute ourselves. Plus how do we know they really sent you. You could easily be one of Valentine's allies or spies. Us, fond of neither." A look of disgust immediately crossed Taly's face at the sound of Valentine's name. "Please do not offend me by associating me with that egoistic maniac. Here" and she tossed a key over to Alec. He turned the key around in his hand quickly recognizing it. It was a key to the Institute, one only a chosen few had permission to be in possession of. His parent being two of those chosen few. "Where did you get this!?" He stared to walk up to the girl but was stopped by Jace who held a hand to his chest. Jace turned to regard the girl as well as she spoke. Unfazed she spoke. "Your parents gave it to me as proof that I'm supposed to be here." Isabelle spoke next. "Why didn't they notify us before hand?" Taly rolled her eyes obviously annoyed with the endless questions. "Weren't you the one who spoke of allies and spies of Valentine's. They didn't want him to know they were sending reinforcements." "Okay," started Alec, "so why didn't you just use the key to open the door then? Why knock." "Well, I don't know about you but I sure wouldn't want someone coming into my home without me knowing, key or not." They stared at the stranger. Giving her a better look they noticed faded marks on her hands and neck area. Much like theirs. She had a determined but friendly look on her face. Very beautiful. But of course she was. She was a Shadowhunter. Nephilim. Born of angel and man. "So. Are you going to welcome me in?" There was a long period of silence in which the three exchanged looks Taly couldn't read. Then a childish voice pierced the silence. "Hey, who's that?" Taly's eye glinted as she looked over Jace and Alec's shoulder. She broke into a sweet smile. "Hello, Max."

"This is my room. I have my reading stuff here in this drawer. Do you read manga?" Max went over to the drawer and yanked it open revealing all his prized possessions. Books. "No, I don't read those types of things. I like novels." Taly bent down balancing on her toes while she reached into the drawer. "But I wouldn't mind reading one, some day." She flipped through the pages and lifted her brow. "You have to read it like this" said Max, sliding his fingers across the page. Taly nodded in understanding and set the book back into the open drawer before shutting it. "Max? I'd like to talk to you about what happened to you if that's okay." Max was sitting on his bed next to the table fiddling with his fingers and Taly was still kneeling in front of Max with her elbow propped on the table. "He will not be speaking to you about anything. Out." Alec stood at the door, arms crossed across his chest; his muscles tightening in his arms, jaw twitching. Both Max and Taly's head shot up towards the angry boy. "It's okay Alec. I don't mind telling Taly what happened." Max smiled up at his brother and then back at Taly. "I'll tell you what happened if you do one thing for me." "No, Max. You don't know her. You shouldn't trust people you don't know." Alec's voice was stern and rang with authority. "If you don't trust her, then why did you let her in?" said Max, obviously angry with his brother for making it a big deal. "It's okay Max. Alec is just trying to protect you." Taly leaned forward and hugged Max tightly enough for him to feel safe but soft enough not to hurt him. She stood and walked towards the door staring straight into Alec's eyes and walked passed him nudging his shoulder as she walked. She paused a spoke over her shoulder. "I can help you know. If you'd let me." And with that she kept on walking.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMI or any of its characters except for the fictional ones created for this fan fiction story.**

"Mom. Mom I miss you so much. I swear I'm doing everything I can to help you. I miss your paint splattered overalls and the way you tickle me when you know something's wrong. I wish now more than ever to be able to ask you for guidance." Clary sniffled between words and didn't care who was watching. "Simon's waiting downstairs for me. I'll come back soon to see you. I love you mom. So much." She stood from the chair placed next to the hospital bed her mother lied in. All the machines and wires gave Clary an uneasy feeling, not because of the way it looked but because she know nothing in mundane medicine would cure her mother. These machines were pointless and she almost felt mocked by them. Clary turned on her heal and began to walk out into the hallway when suddenly she heared a light gasp. When she turned around she noticed her mother's toes twitching underneath the knitted blanket. _She's probably dreaming. _

"Simon?" Clary had been looking over half an hour for Simon who was supposed to be waiting in the front lobby but was missing when she arrived. _I've checked the cafe, the pediatric game room, the courtyard, and stood outside the bathroom. Where is he. _Finally she reached for her phone and dialed his number. Nothing. No ring. Just silence. With a sigh she walked out the turnstile doors of the hospital and started walking towards the bus stop. _He's probably mad at me. I should've never said that to him. Why'd I have to mention him. Jace._

* * *

"Let go!" Simon couldn't see anything except for glowing white eyes that seemed to be floating in the mucky damp air surrounding him. "I said let go!" He kicked and squirmed as more and more hands grabbed him and pinned him half on the ground and half on a cold stone wall. _I should be able to see in here. _The grip on his arms disappeared to his surprise and Simon didn't hesitate to stand up and try to run. He ran about 2 feet and rammed into something slimy and unmistakably large. He didn't need his night vision to know this was a demon. The stench alone was enough to make him want to up chuck any food he had in his stomach... if vampires ate food. Just then a hand whipped across his whole torso sending him flying against the wall he had just been released from. Hissing he tried to straighten himself. "Now now Daylighter. I would stay put if I were you." Simon tried to search with his hands for anything he could use as a weapon. At the same time he strained his vision and tried to capture a glimpse of where he was and who was there with him. Nothing. He couldn't see anything. _Great, even as a vampire I'm blind as a bat... _Despite the pain surging through his body he chuckled a little at his punny thought. Those thoughts disappeared immediately after a heavy boot connected with his ribcage projecting a loud cracking noise through the room. "Ah! What do you want?! Who are you?!" A low chuckle echoed off the walls and it was then that Simon knew who it was. Valentine. He slowly lifted his head to look up at the tall slim man. "What do you want from me Valentine?" "Ah see my boy, you do know who I am. All of those questions for nothing when we could've gotten straight to the point of our little rendezvous." Wincing Simon answered, "This is why nobody likes you." "Ah but they do. They admire my strength and courage. My ability to stand alone and persevere against all odds. They envy me as well, wish they could be like me instead of cowering in the shadows of the Clave. Afraid to speak their minds scared to be thrown in the jail cells in the place they call home. Its sickening. Disgusting. Outrag-" "Yeaa yeaa, I get it. Your a God and and you want them to be your minions." Valentine showed his appreciation for that comment by leaning down and back handing Simon across the face causing his incisors to bite into his bottom lip. Simon had about enough of the abuse and sprung up to his feet faster than he'd ever believed possible and crouched snarling through his teeth now fully extended and ready to rip through Valentines throat. Valentine grinned widely and as he straightened out and clapped his hands as if he'd finished watching a performance. "Marvelous, just marvelous. THAT'S the kind if rage I was looking for." Behind Valentine Simon saw, for the first time since he had been captured, the swarm of demons acting as a line of defense hovering in the darkness. Simon looked up and noticed a window at the top of the room. The window looked like a skylight of some sort and there were floors that seemed unfinished or demolished. He then realized he was in the basement of an abandoned warehouse. _So I have to be on "vamp-mode" to be able to use my newly found powers? Lame. _In a split second Simon had jumped and was latched on to the side of the building climbing on all fours towards the skylight. _Painted it black so no sunlight would come through and scorch your precious demon army? Hehe, nice. _Simon shoved his fist through the glass and light along with slivers of glass fell from above shedding light over the demons below. He stared down hanging from the open gap in the ceiling from his hand and feet using his other hand to salute Valentine right before hauling himself through the hole. Valentine, surrounded by what looked like sizzling tar, stared in amazement and simply smiled.

* * *

The Institute was dark and felt colder than usual. There were no signs of life except for the small pitter patter of paws on the ground. Church walked over to Clary and she bent over to pick him up. "Hey Church, where's everyone at?" she whispered before setting the cat back down. With a meow Church turned around and began walking down the dark hall way occasionally looking back, Clary padding right behind him. Before reaching their destination Clary could already hear the soft murmurs of a conversation. She halted right before reaching the door in fear they might hear her approaching. Her heart skipped a beat once she heard Jace's voice. "She has to go. She doesn't belong here," he said. Isabelle spoke next. "Give her a chance Jace. Let her prove herself." A voice that sounded like Alec's contradicted Izzy's plea. "She hasn't been here long enough. This is no place for her. If she belonged here she would've been brought a long time ago. She's an outsider." Izzy sighed. "Fine, but I'm not telling her she isn't welcomed here anymore." "I thought you didn't like her being here either. Why the change of heart?" said Jace in his usual cool tone. "I don't know, I guess she grew on me a little." _They don't want me. Izzy doesn't want me, Alec never wanted me, and Jace..._ Clary choked back a cry and turned running away lightly on her toes so no one would hear. As soon as she barged through the front door of the Institute she ran and ran until she reached the lamppost outside of Luke's house. She grabbed on to it as if to hold it in place and broke down. She cried for her mother who was unconscious when she most needed her, her father she hated, her brother who didn't want her, her best friend who she'd hurt, and herself for not knowing who she was, where she was going, or what to do next. The light dimmed above her and she slowly stood up and dragged her feet to the front door. She pulled out her keys and she dropped something on the ground. Her stele. She wondered if she could create a rune that would turn back time. Turn back time and never set foot in Pandemonium.

* * *

After Simon had escaped the warehouse, his first instinct was to go straight to the hospital where he'd left Clary, but her nonexistant voicemail made him change his mind. Plus his appearance made that a little difficult. He had dried blood on his chin from when he sliced his lip, stains on his shirt from the dirt and blood, and bits and pieces of glass stuck in his hand from shattering the glass. He was sure she would go into cardiac arrest if she saw him that way. He couldn't go home either since his mother didn't know he had Changed, and he didn't plan on telling her he had. "I look like death" he said to himself. He walked towards his house anyway not sure if he was going to go in or not. On his way there he saw a few kids from his block playing at the water pump. He thought it would be the perfect time to rinse off before returning home. He moseyed on over to the spewing water and let it fall on his face and down the front if his shirt. He picked the pieces of glass from his hand and dropped them on the ground one by one. Instantly his hands started to heal. No one seemed to notice him, except one girl sitting on the stoop next to the water hydrant. She looked into his eyes, her lips curving on one corner. For a long while they just stared. In her hand she twirled what looked like a thin silver rod with a glowing end, swirls and symbols he didn't recognize etched into the sides. No one else seemed to notice her. "Glamour" he whispered to himself. Simon thought he had seen a smile creep onto her lips as he said the word. She stood up and tossed him a small vial of brownish red liquid which no one seemed to notice either. Blood. He shot his head up and she was gone. He frantically looked side to side to see if anyone was watching but all they did was run and play in the down pour of water falling from the sky. He noticed a shimmer in the water as it fell and figured she had used that water to shield him off. He looked back down at the tube and thought to himself. _She knows. She knows what I am._

* * *

"Where could he be?! He was in his room!" All you could hear echoing through the hallways were Isabelle's heels clicking and her calling Max's name. "Max? Max!" She met up with Jace and Alec at front door of the Institute to figure out what to do next. "Taly has disappeared as well" said Alec, breathless himself. Jace was stuffing his jacket and pant loops with his daggers and knives he used during battle. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted her" he said to no one in particular. "Where do you think they'd b-" She broke off when the latch to the door clicked and opened letting the light of sunset flood into the hallway revealing a familiar figure known to them as Taly. Jace grabbed her by the front of her jacket and pulled her to him, his knuckles white. "Where is he?" She was about to speak when a small body pushed passed her and into the foyer. "Look guys! Look at what Taly got for me! Its the newest-... Jace? Why are you grabbing Taly like that?" Isabelle and Alec immediately dropped to their knees and checked Max for any bumps or bruises. "C'mon guys. I'm fine. We just went to the book store." Taly and Jace shared a vicious stare and then he finally released her. Taly smoothed her jacket down and straightened her posture. He'd noticed she never slouched or had anything out of place. This was usual in a Shandowhunter but she was a little extreme. Just like him. "He asked me to take him to the book store", said Taly before anyone could ask. "Yea," chimed in Max, "and I got this cool new book too. See? It shows you how to draw all the Manga characters, even ones I've never heard of." Max went on and on about the book and Jace grasped the perfect opportunity to pull Taly aside to set things straight. "Who do you think you are dragging my brother wherever you feel suitable. Anything could've happened to him while you were out there and we had no idea where he was. After the attack..." Jace seemed lost for words. After a brief moment of silence, Taly spoke. "He bargained with me. If I took him to the book store, he'd tell me what happened. So I took him" she explained. "You tricked him." Jace said angrily. "He's young and naive. He'd do anything you tell him cause your nice to him-" "He trusts me. Something all three of you should try sometime." She pushed passed him and clicked down the hallway in a way that reminded Jace a lot of Isabelle. He noticed she wore black gloves and on her glove something gleamed. A ring. _Must be a family heirloom_. He stared after her until she disappeared into the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own TMI or any of its characters except for the fictional ones created for this fan fiction story.**

Clary had just finished getting dressed after her shower when there was a loud knock at the front door. She walked over drying her damped fiery red hair with a pink towel and looked through the window to see Simon standing on the porch, drenched. She hadn't known where he'd went after he disappeared from the hospital and was worried something bad had happened. She opened the door and paused before crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at him. "Where'd you go? You shouldn't have left like that I was worried sick about you." Stepping aside Clary motioned for Simon to come inside and tossed him the towel she had been using to dry her hair. Drying off the top of his head he started his apologies. "Sorry Clary. I wanted to get some air and..." Clary's eyes grew wide as she noticed the blood stains on his shirt and jeans. "What happened to you?" she exclaimed. Simon looked around the house noticing there was no one there. "Where's Luke?" he asked as if she hadn't spoken at all. "I don't know. Simon what happened to you? Where'd you go?" Still looking around the house he answered, "I went out for some air and the next thing I knew, bam, potato sack over my head." Clary huffed. "Simon I'm not kidding. What happened?" Dramatically putting his hands up in the air he replied, "I'm not kidding either! That's what happened." Realizing Simon was telling the truth, Clary started asking more detailed questions as she wiped the remaining blood off of him with the pink towel she had before, leaving similar stains on it as Simon's clothing. "Who took you?" Simon hesitated and finally answered. "Valentine." Her hand froze in place and she plopped herself into the sofa and sighed heavily before exchanging the towel for her blanket and using it as a shield. Her words came out in a whisper Simon knew he wouldn't be able to hear if he weren't a vampire. "Did you kill him?" She'd never thought she'd wish for her father to be dead, but this man wasn't her father. He was her nightmare. Simon shook his head no. "In the dream, Jace killed you. What if it wasn't Jace? What if it was Valentine? What if it wasn't me, but my mom. What if those eyes I saw in the dark were Luke's? What if somehow I'm dreaming of things to come?" She looked up half expecting Simon to be looking at her like she had two heads, but to her surprise his eyes were soft. Any tension they had built on the way to the hospital had completely vanished and for a few short seconds, they became the old Clary and Simon. The ones who never stayed mad at each other because they always had something juicy to tell the other. This was one of those moments. "I escaped. That's all that matters." "He'll keep coming back for you Simon. He obviously sees some gain in you and he won't stop until he has you." Simon knelt down in front of Clary and pushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen onto her face so he could see her better. "As long as you're safe, I don't care what he does with me."

* * *

"Time for bed Max!" Alec hollered down the hall way towards the library where Max would spend most of his time. Seconds later a small head peeked around the corner and hollered back. "5 more minutes? Pleaaase Alec! Taly's teaching me how to draw!" Alec rolled his eyes and walked in the direction of the voice. He peered into the room and couldn't help but smile at the scene. Taly had Max sitting crisscross across from her with about five different notebooks sprawled out in front of them and all sorts of coloring utensils scattered across the floor. "5 minutes, then off to bed. Taly," he leaned against the door frame as he spoke to her, "I would like to speak to you after Max goes to bed." Taly nodded and started cleaning the mess up with Max. Ten minutes later Taly was walking towards Alec's room when she heard a low caw. She turned to see Hugo perched on one of the beams. He swooped down and landed on her hand. "There there Hugo" she whispered. She threw her arm up to give Hugo a boost to fly up into the beams again. He remained quiet while Taly proceeded down the hallway. Before knocking on Alec's door she reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring she always wore. Max had asked her about it she took it off so she wouldn't have to explain where it came from or what it ment. "Jace has one just like it", was all Max said before coloring in his characters. She kissed it, placed it back in her pocket and knocked on the bedroom door. "Come in." The words were muffled and other wise inaudible unless one had their ear pressed against the door. She slowly turned the knob and poked her head through the crack. Isabelle, Alec and Jace all sat on the bed looking in her direction. She awkwardly stood at the door, something that wasn't usual for Taly. Feeling awkward. She normally adapted well to any situation. She always knew what to say and how to act. She seemed almost as confident as Jace. Moments like this were rare and the kids could tell. Alec cleared his throat and began to speak. "We must talk about your stay here at the Institute. As a unit we feel you have overstayed your welcome and kindly ask you to leave as soon as possible." Taly's eyes narrowed. "I didn't think taking a child to a bookstore would earned me banishment. Has there been a new law written against such a thing?" Sarcasm dripped off of every syllable as she spoke. Jace stood up and walked over to her. "Yes. Now leave." She stared at him and he stared back. He couldn't help but feel the need to stare into her eyes. Despite the wall he had built between himself and Taly, he couldn't resist getting lost in them. They told stories. Happy and sad ones. They shone with passion. He felt somewhat safe, at home. They seemed... Familiar. But he couldn't feel this way, right? She was an outsider. A Shadowhunter, but an outsider. Finally someone's cough ripped through the silence breaking the hold Taly had on Jace causing them both to look towards the sound. Isabelle cocked her head to the side and smiled, indicating she was the one who interrupted their stare down. "Fine. You'll regret it." Taly turned and walked out of the room without giving a single glance back.

* * *

_Giggles __echo__ in the darkness. "C'mon Jace!" Small feet pitter __patter__ on the ground. Flashes of green and blue swirls __appear__ before him forming distorted trees and creeks. "C'mon!" Small hands pull on his own then let go. He turns around and there's a man. A tall slim man. His smile is enough to make you want to crawl into his lap. His voice is soft and gentle. "Come here son." His arms open wide invite even the most shyest of souls. "Jace." He's disappearing. His voice is fading. The giggles are almost nonexistent. Everything fades to black. _

Jace woke up in a cold sweat. Panting he reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his witchlight. The radiating light shook as his hands trembled and nausea set in. _Father. _He got out of bed and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. A strange feeling of abandonment and need washed over him. He felt sick knowing he wanted his fathers love more than anything, yet he despised him for gifting him cruel memories. As he sat at the table he felt a small chill run up and down his spine. He turned to see what looked like a puff of blue smoke formed into a cloud. "Son." Stumbling backwards and dropping the glass, Jace quickly swatted at the puff and it was gone. Gasping for air he gripped the counter edge and tried to gather his thoughts. _What's happening to me. _He felt dizzy and the last thing he heard was Izzy's voice calling his name. Then everything turned black.

* * *

Simon spent the night on Luke's couch since going home was out of the question and was already awake when Clary woke up. He heard her walk into the bathroom, turn the shower on, then the sink, and finally the click of the door when she unlocked it to come out. "How'd you sleep?" she asked, her voice raspy with dryness. "I didn't. Well, not long anyways." Simon's eyes were underlined with dark circles, giving away his lack of sleep. "Its kinda hard to sleep at night. You know, vamp stuff." Clary nodded her head in understanding and headed toward the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. She was still playing the conversation she overheard in her head over and over again. Her eyes were moist with tears now and Simon, who had come to the kitchen after her, noticed. "What's wrong?" he asked clearly concerned. Clary viciously wiped her eyes and slammed the coffee pot on the counter causing it to crack. Simon, not sure what to do or say, stood quietly and stared at the pot. "They don't want me" she said finally, "They don't want anything to do with me, and I don't know what to do." Simon knew who she was taking about without even asking. "Did they say why?" "No. They didn't say it to me. They were talking in the room and I overheard them." When Simon didn't respond, Clary looked over at him and noticed his lips were pressed into a hard line and he had a crease between his eyebrows which Clary knew appeared only when he was angry. "Its okay. I don't need them. I just need to know how to help my mom. I don't need them for that. I have you, and Luke." She kept rambling on and on but all Simon could here was a hum in his ear like the sound of a television that has been left on, but louder. He pushed himself off the counter he had been leaning on and walked straight towards the front door. "Simon?" Clary's voice sounded muffled, like if she was speaking to him under water. Through the humming he could make out her small foot steps running towards him. _Am I really walking that fast? _He halted so abruptly that Clary skidded to a stop and ran into his arm. "Where are you going?" she asked, panic lacing her voice. He turned to face her. "The Institute."

* * *

"I have to go to Idris." Jace spoke as he stuffed a duffle bag with clothing and fighting gear. "I have to know what that dream meant." Isabelle stood next to the duffle bag pulling items out as he put them in. "Jace you can't just go to Idris. You don't have money, or permission. You're still technically underage and need a guardian to get on a plane." She smiled, feeling triumphant but her smile faded immediately when she noticed Jace tensed and stopped moving. "You weren't planning on flying, where you." He looked up at Isabelle and dropped a dagger he had been planning to pack on the bed. In one swift movement he he walked to the door and shut it lightly before turning around and walking towards Isabelle. "Iz, I need you to do me a favor." She waited. "I need you to distract Alec. I've asked Magnus to come and open a portal for me. Please." "No. No, you can't just portal over to Idris Jace. You know it has to be cleared before you do. And if mom and dad find out you're trying to go to Idris, they'll have a fit. You're supposed to be here with us, protecting Max. Not chasing after answers to a silly dream." "Isabelle," said Jace, grabbing her by her shoulders, "I saw it. It was really there. It's not just a silly dream." When Jace had told Isabelle about the puff of smoke and how he'd heard his fathers voice, she didn't believe him. She'd thought he had a bad dream and passed out from the heat. "Jace, please. Just wait until they return. Do not go. Please." Isabelle never begged anyone for anything, yet here she was begging for him to stay. He released her and turned his back to her repacking his bag. "I can't Izzy. I need answers."

* * *

Clary had thrown on her sneakers and grabbed her jacket before running out behind Simon. "Simon, wait! Simon wha-" Clary tripped and Simon caught her before she hit the ground. "You alright?" he asked as she scrambled to her feet. "Yes, are you? What the heck are you thinking Simon?" Clary threw her hands in the air to emphasize her words. "Clary, ever since you found out about this other life nothing but pain and suffering has come your way. And now they don't want you? Ha! I have a few words for them." He continued to walk towards the Institute and stopped when he reached the front gate. Standing at the door were Jace and Magnus, sparks spilling from his fingertips. "There has only ever been one warlock in the world powerful enough to create a portal that would penetrate the wards protecting Alicante, and that warlock is dead" he explained to Jace who didn't seem to notice Simon and Clary standing a few feet away. Clary saw the perfect opportunity to leave unseen and she begged for them to go home. "Please Simon, lets just go." Just then, the same puff of smoke Jace saw the night before appeared in the sky.

All four of them looked up at the cloud and stared in awe. The puff started convulsing and loud creaking sounds rang through the sky. A loud crack made them all wince and there were demons bursting out several at a time. Magnus turned and started his work, opening a portal on the side of the building. Jace reached into his duffle bag that had been sitting at his feet and pulled out a seraph blade. He named it and it came to life, extending to about three feet and curving at the end into a bladed hook. Clary and Simon both ran towards the Institute to assist with the attack. Clary reached into Jace's bag and grabbed the first thing she could recognize with her fingertips. A stele. As she stood from the ground and turned around, a demon plucked her from where she stood and as quickly as she was plucked she was dropped. Jace had cut straight through the demons arm, releasing Clary and leaving the demon to sizzle where it was. He grabbed her and shoved her against the wall, pinning her to it with his back. He pressed back and she grabbed his shirt with one hand and gripped the stele with the other. He sliced and ripped through demons as they came. Clary could see Simon clinging onto demons necks ripping out their throats and jumping on to the next one. The poison dripping from his mouth stained the front of his t-shirt with black splotches that made Clary's stomach churn. _You're nephilim. Be strong. _With that last thought as her booster, she pushed Jace off of her and reached for a handle sticking out of the bag. She pulled it out and named it and it shot up in a blue flame. She smiled in satisfaction and hurled herself towards the nearest demon driving the blade into its chest. The demon looked at her and started to tremble. It caught fire and exploded into a bunch of small chunks. She screamed and covered her face as he erupted and when she looked up she noticed the battle was being lost. Jace, Simon and herself would not be enough. She could hear Magnus screaming over the roars and sizzles. "Get through! Hurry up and get through!" Behind him the portal was swirling inviting them in. She ran and grabbed Simon's arm and pulled him towards the portal. She looked for Jace but couldn't find him until she heard Simon scream.

"Jace! Watch out!" She turned to the direction he was screaming, only to see a demon holding a slab of concrete it had ripped off the walkway over its head aiming at Jace. She froze in place watching, speechless. For the first time, Jace looked small. And scared. She imagined it was what he looked like as a child. Finally she let out a scream. "Jace!" The demon dropped the slab of cement over Jace's head but to his surprise he felt nothing. He looked at Clary who was staring with her green eyes almost coming out of her head and her mouth open. But she wasn't looking at him. She was staring above him. He looked up to see the slab hovering in the air inches from his head. There was a shield that shimmered with glitter and tiny stars cradling the concrete as it floated over Jace's head. Naturally Jace shot his gaze towards Magnus who also had a shocked look on his face. The portal was closed and the only thing left behind was a ring of ash layered onto the side if the Institute. As he looked around he noticed the same shield surrounding them, like a protective bubble. He looked back at Magnus for answers since it didn't seem he was the one creating the shield. Magnus was staring towards the front gate of the institute, even more shocked than before. Standing there was a young girl wearing a long black battle jacket, hood over the head, arms extended, with purple sparks and glitter pouring through her fingers, eyes glowing the same purple as her fingertips. Taly.

The demons behind her seemed to ignore her and tried to beat down the shell she had created to protect the others. "Run!" she screamed, yet no one seemed to budge. The first to speak was Magnus. "Aby?" "Run! Now!" she screamed again, even louder. When no one made an effort to flee, she dropped the force field and turned it on her self and the demons. "NO!" Magnus ran towards her and banged on the newly made dome. "Aby no!" Taly stared at him through the almost invisible wall and put her hand up to his. Magnus banged on it as hard as he could but got nowhere. He stood back and started whipping small sparks at it trying to penetrate it, but it was too strong. Taly turned around and faced the demons. She snapped her fingers and a small purple flame appeared between them. "No no no no!" screamed Magnus from the outside. Now Isabelle and Alec had arrived back to the Institute and were gathered around the others. She had taken him for a walk so he wouldn't have to see Magnus, so he was surprised to see him there. "What's happening?!" she exclaimed, but no one answered. They all stood staring at the event unfolding before them. "Aby please don't!" cried Magnus. Alec couldn't help but feel a little jealous at the fact Magnus was so worried about this girl. _Why does he care?_ He looked over towards Taly who had taken out a blade of her own and started fighting the demons. They fought back and swarmed her like bees to a hive.

One of the demons came from behind and hooked its long curved nail through her back and out the front if her chest. She gasped as it picked her up with its nail and brought her to face Magnus. "NOOO!" he screamed as he banged on the shield with his fists and kicked it with his boots. "NOOO!" He stepped away, tears rolling down his cheeks, and placed his hands in front of himself palms upright and blue flames started to form, shooting up and tangling themselves around each other a few feet above his hands. The spirals grew into an enormous globe of fire that rotated in all directions, giving off a strange cool breeze. Everyone stared in amazement and squinted their eyes as they watched the fire ball rise and rise until it was positioned over top of the dome. There was wind blowing furiously as it levitated. With a loud scream, Magnus jerked his hands in a downward motion dropping the flaming ball onto the shield. The ball hissed and sizzled as it came in contact with the almost invisible force. But nothing happened. With tears still forming in his eye from frustration, Magnus wiped them away before starting a whole new fire ball. This time he formed many small ones and dropped them all over the force field. Suddenly he noticed a light glow forming around Taly. Widening his eyes in surprise he knew what she was trying to do. He made countless efforts in trying to break the wall separating him from her. Before he had a chance to back away, there was a sound like thunder coming from where the demons and Taly fought. Bolts and fire smashing into the walls with incredible force. Black smoke rose from the ground creating a sphere of toxic ash, contained by the magic radiating off of Taly.

A loud screech pierced the air and Magnus felt an insane amount of pressure in his ears causing them to pop. And it was gone. The force field was gone. The force field along with the large amount of demons disappeared. There was no trace of there ever being a battle. All that was left was a body. A bloody, pale skinned body. The familiar body of someone he loved so much. Shed tears over since the day she'd been ripped out of his grasp. The body he used to lull to sleep at night when they'd been left orphans. The body of his baby sister. Taly.


End file.
